One Down, Six Million To Go
by Agent-Cool
Summary: (Pg-13 for violence ONLY). Another look on episode "Creatures of the night" in the scene when Stella is going to take a shower. What happens if Robin's rapist finds Stella? And what will Danny do about it? please R&R!


Stella leaned against the locker as she began to remove her jacket and jewelry. This case was so frustrating. Didn't Robin want to know who did this to her? At this point, Stella didn't even care about what Robin wanted anymore. She wanted to know, she wanted to put the scumbag who had raped Robin behind bars. She was almost certain it was Billy Essliato. Sure, he seemed innocent enough. A chubby, short guy with glasses as thick as coke bottles was hardly what the jury would look at as a rape suspect. But these days you never know. 

Only a few minutes earlier she had talked to Danny Messer, the young forensic scientist, and he had confirmed that Essliato's semen had no sperm, just like the semen they found in Robin. Danny thought it was good enough evidence being as only 2 of the male population have no sperm, but Stella knew the jury would just look at it as a coincidence. And for that she was beginning to hate this case. 

The heat of the case was getting to her head and she needed to cool off. She decided that a cool shower would do the job. She removed her black shirt to reveal her white undershirt. But as she did this she heard footsteps. Maybe it was Aiden. No, that couldn't be right. Aiden was out on a case with Mac. Maybe it was Danny. But why would Danny be in the women's locker room. Besides Danny was background work with Flack on Billy Essliato. 

She strained her ears to hear for the footsteps. Nothing. She walked over to the door and looked out into the halls. She didn't see anyone. Maybe she was just hearing things.

Suddenly, as she turned around she was face to face with Billy Essliato. He was a little shorter than her, but she was sure he was about twice her size. With one hand he grabbed her wrist tightly and with the other he put it over her mouth before she even had a chance to scream. He dragged her to floor where he began to remove his belt. This confirmed her suspicions, but whether she would live to tell others, she did not know.

She struggled with every ounce of strength in her, but it wasn't enough. One wouldn't think that this park worker would be so strong, but this was New York and looks could be deceiving. He fought her down to the ground and just as he was about to take his belt off Stella bit down as hard as she could on his hand.

"Ahh!" He screamed as he jerked his hand away.

Stella saw her opportunity and screamed for the first name that came to her mind.

"DANNY!!!!"

She had always been loud but this scream put all others to shame.

"DANNY!!" She shouted again at the top of her lungs. 

"DANNY!! HEL---" She began to scream a third time, but before she could finish Billy had hid her head against the locker. She fell down, still conscious but dazed.

Stella's attacker reached for her throat. As he strangled her she couldn't cry out any more, but she didn't need to. Only a moment later Danny frantically skidded into the locker room. He was shocked to see Billy choking Stella. He didn't waste a moment.

Danny grew up in Brooklyn and had a hard childhood. His father was an alcoholic and Danny often had spent his nights on the street. He had to defend himself from the local gangs and robbers. He had ended up in the hospital many times, but he eventually became pretty good at defending himself.

In two strides he was at Billy's side. He sent his boot into his stomach as he kicked Billy off of Stella. Stella grabbed her throat gasping for air.

Danny knew it was a mistake when he reached down to help Stella up, because the next thing he knew Billy had punched him in the jaw. Hard. Danny felt his lip, which was now split. He could taste the blood in his mouth. But that didn't sidetrack him. He threw back an equally hard punch. But Danny was soon to learn that this man could just as well defend himself. If not better. Yes, looks could _certainly_ be deceiving.

Danny ran out of the room down the hall and into the lab room where he quickly opened a zip lock baggy and pulled out a piece of evidence from another case. It was a knife. Possibly the murder weapon being as it still had blood on it. 

Only a moment later Billy skidded into the room where he stopped in his tracks at the sight of Danny holding the 5 inch long knife. But that didn't phase this man. He lunged at Danny. Danny tried to stab the man, but Billy counteracted his body weight against Danny and they both fell to the ground with Billy holding Danny's wrist with the knife in his hand against the ground. His other hand had a tight grip on Danny's throat. 

Danny brought up his leg behind Billy and kicked him in the back. Billy fell to the side while Danny scooted away from him. But he soon realized he no longer had the knife. Billy did. For some strange reason this didn't register in Danny's mind, so when Billy lunged at Danny he didn't move. 

He felt pain explode through his right forearm and even more so as Billy drew the knife in Danny's arm up about three inches. Danny couldn't help but cry out.

He tried to move but found himself pinned. Billy was sitting on Danny's legs and holding his left wrist down. He removed the knife from Danny's arm and stabbed it through his hand into the ground. Danny couldn't move his hand without a burning pain shooting through his entire arm. 

Billy reached for the closes thing he saw. A strand of wire about three feet long. He grabbed it and wrapped it tight around Danny's neck. It cut through his skin like paper and even began to cut into his esophagus. He could no longer breath and began to feel himself pass out. He was too strong willed to just let himself go like this. Without a fight. He hadn't spent all those nights on the Brooklyn streets for nothing. So, with the last ounce of strength he could muster he pulled his hand free from the ground. The knife was still in it, but it was no longer pinned to the floor. 

Ignoring the white hot pain he swung his hand up as fast as he could and before Billy even knew what was going on he felt the knife sink into the back of his neck. Danny's hand was also on the back of his neck. The knife acted as a shiskabob, instead of chicken on its steak it was now a hand and a neck. The wire no longer tightened around his neck, but it was still there cutting into his skin. He couldn't move. He strength was gone and so was his breath. 

Before he let himself black out completely he saw a face he recognized standing over him. It was Mac. Thank God for Mac! He grabbed the knife and pulled it out of Danny's hand causing him to whimper slightly. He then pulled the heavy body of the -now dead- Billy and pushed it aside. Mac didn't remove the wire from Danny's neck because he knew that if he did Danny would suffocate before he bled to death. The wire that would kill him would know save his life. That was the last thing he remembered before he was able to finally let himself sink into the velvety darkness that surrounded him.

"Can you hear me Danny?" Stella whispered as she sat by his bed side in the hospital. The busy noise of the hospital at quieted down now that it was nighttime. Danny had been unconscious since yesterday when the attack had happened. Unconscious or sleeping. Stella knew she owed her life to him. She felt a great deal of gratitude to this boy from Brooklyn.

As she squeezed his hand she grabbed her jacket and prepared to leave. It was late and even though she had the next day off due to the attack, she had much to do. 

Just as she was about to turn around she saw Danny's eyes fluttler open. He had a oxygen hose in his neck with a bandage surrounded it due to the damage the wire had done. He couldn't talk just yet, but he weakly lifted his good arm towards his bedside table. Stella laughed softly. She knew what he wanted. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a gray case. Opening it up she pulled out the contents. Danny smiled as the handed him his black rimmed glasses. He put them on. 

He smiled as thought to say, "Now I can see!"  
Closing his eyes once again he reminded Stella of a child with his security blanket. Danny was injured and weak, but he would be alright. For that she was glad.

Where would the world be without Danny Messer? Well, Stella knew one thing for sure. She wouldn't be in it.

She walked to the door and turned off the light.

"Thanks for helping me catch him" She whispered. "I'll go tell Robin."


End file.
